Slideshow: How Kiva's Robotic Warehouse Works

Kiva Systems wants to reinvent the warehouse business using robots -- lots of robots. In Woburn, Mass., the company set up a demonstration facility to show how its robotic system can boost order-fulfillment speeds.

7. The robot at the front of the line drives away, and the one behind it takes its place. When the order is completed, the cardboard box travels to the shipping area on a conveyor or is carried by a robot.